Magical Rider Homura Magica
by Sayakan
Summary: Though it was in no way a perfect world, any world with Madoka was satisfactory. As Homura ventures into her new journey as a magical rider, fighting alongside her friends, she discovers something sinister about her universe.
1. My Classmates Use Magic?

**I do not own Puella Magi Madoka Magica. If I did, I would be Japanese. rich, an adult, and male. Since I am none of those things, I definitely do not own the anime.**

**(Though I would like to be an adult, at the very least. Maybe I could write something better than this.)**

Homura wasn't a very good daughter.

Her parents had never told her this themselves, of course, but Homura knew it. She felt like a burden, draining her parent's money from them, due to her frail and weak nature. At school, Homura had no friends. Nobody would really care if she just died, would they?

_It _happened when Homura was twelve. Her mother was braiding her hair, working the long tresses into straight and beautiful plaits. At the end of each braid, Homura's mother wrapped a purple ribbon around the hair. Though the young girl winced, she didn't complain. She never complained. How could she dare? After all, her mother was only being kind.

Homura and her family were heading to church. She did go to a Catholic school, after all. The air was crisp and cool, with leaves scattered on the sidewalk. With every step, they crunched underfoot satisfyingly, the sound ringing through the air. Just as the girl was going to step on a dark crimson leaf, the color of the glasses she wore, her chest began to hurt.

Then everything went black.

When Homura woke up, around a year had passed already. It was already late-May, meaning she would be transferring in not when the school year started, but later than that, at the time when people had already made friends. But that was fine. Really, Homura couldn't care less about that (well, that was a bit of a lie, since Homura really did care. She didn't want to be the outsider this time around.) But none of that really mattered. Her parents were dead.

The nurse told her calmly, unaware of how Homura's life was falling to pieces.

"-it's not your fault though, it really isn't-"

But it was her fault. Homura was crossing the street with her parents to church, prepared to step on the leaf. Or was it a feather? In her mind's eye, it was a feather instead of a leaf, and the feather was her only connection to her parents anymore. However, no matter what it was, the facts were straight. Homura had collapsed, and her parents had stopped to pick her up. The light turned red, and some crazy guy in a pickup truck just ran the two adults over.

He wasn't even being arrested, the jerk. He only had a light fine. For two lives… Where was the saying, an eye for an eye? A life for a life? Was there no justice? This man… this man should die. He should die now.

"...my ribbons…" croaked Homura. The nurse was startled, having already gone off on a tangent. Her pale fingers reached with the stiff white pocket of her nurse uniform, reaching about.

"Of course," she replied, pulling out two purple ribbons. They were the worse for wear, with creases lining them and dirt clear against the rich color, but Homura couldn't care less. They were her mother's.

Of course, if Homura had been a better daughter, this never would have happened.

The hospital room was clean, too clean, a shining white without a speck of dirt. Homura was only too glad to finally leave and attend her new school in Mihikitaria. She was forced to live with her aunt, who was not truly unpleasant, but had no time or money to care for a small child. Therefore, Homura was often left alone. She was okay with that, really. She didn't deserve anything.

School was anything short of pleasant. The first day was always the worst, right? So she nervously stood outside the door, twisting and turning her ribbons, now as clean as she could make them. The uniform was tight and ill-fitting, pulling at Homura's skin in uncomfortable ways. The pale child adjusted her red-rimmed glasses, perspiring faintly. What if everyone hated her? What if she made no friends? What if-

"Homura Akemi, please come in!" The teacher's friendly voice drifted out through the open door, and Homura's steps were slow and halting as she entered.

"Um… Nice to meet you." Homura bowed, inwardly panicking. Behind her, the teacher tried to write her name on the board. Too nervous to help, Homura just watched as the woman- Kazuko, wasn't it?- fumbled around and eventually gave up.

"Everyone, be nice to Akemi!"

Math was a disaster. Having missed out on a year of school, even simple equations were beyond Homura. Unlike with Hitomi(?) whose pencil danced along her paper. And gym was next, which Homura had never been very good at. Now, it was certain she would be worse.

Homura was proven right. She sat under a tree after a lap of running, too exhausted to move. Another girl, named Ai or something of that sort, giggled to her friend about the out-of-shape transfer student. Homura just sighed as globs of sweat raced down her face. Everybody hated her, didn't they.

"Hey!" One of the athletic girls, Sayaka Miki, plopped down next to Homura, breathing heavily. "Whatcha sulky about, transfer student?" Homura couldn't reply, instead looking down to the ground and pulling at her soaked shirt. Sayaka frowned slightly but persevered. "C'mon, cat got your tongue?"

Homura was going to cry. "Don't tease me," she whimpered slightly. Sayaka was about to say more, but one look at Homura's trembling lip made her leave.

"Well, if you want to talk, just say the word!" Homura looked down. Great. Now she really blew it. Sayaka hated her now, and Homura was an idiot.

"Wait…" she mumbled, but Sayaka was too far away to hear her. "Um…" And now Homura felt like more of an idiot while Ai giggled harder. She really was just a stupid good-for-nothing. Eventually, though, gym ended, and it was time to go home. The walk would be long, but there was no point in taking a train or bus, so a walk it was.

This was what Homura remembered as she stood on the bridge.

What a good-for-nothing she was, unable to move as she was, except nearer to the edge, ready to hurtle herself within the watery abyss. The churning depth beckoned, and Homura was unable to stay away, lured as a sailor by the siren's sweet songs. Why should she go on living? Those questions she posed to herself.

A bright light lit up the area. For a second, Homura was blinded, until she saw the small figure of Madoka Kaname, her classmate, sitting on a machine. The machine was shaped almost like a motorcycle, with the slim body and handholds, but instead of wheels, there were bright pink clusters of light, probably what blinded Homura in the first place. Inlaid within the black seat was a pink diamond made out of some glowing stone. Homura could only gape when Madoka stepped off, creating a bow in her hand.

"Kaname," Homura asked, not very loudly, "Wh-what is this?" Madoka smiled gently and reached out a gloved hand, which Homura took.

"Don't worry, Homura! May I call you Homura?" The brunette slightly nodded, and Madoka got back on her cycle, handing Homura the bow. She nearly dropped the weapon when Madoka pulled her onto the machine as well. "Hold on tight, we need to go very quickly to enter the barrier."

There were loud footsteps behind them. "She has potential?" asked a voice.

Madoka turned around and straightened up from her curved position. "Yes, Mami," she replied. The other blonde girl, now christened Mami, smiled gently at the shaking girl and took her hand. "We should hurry. It wouldn't do to miss this witch." Mami nodded and started her own machine. Madoka did the same, and they were off in a rush. Streams of pink light were left wherever the machine's 'wheels' touched, though, as their speed picked up, any traces disappeared. Quicker and quicker, all the while Homura's braided hair whipping in the wind, barely kept from being undone, until the bridge blurred and the world twisted and turned, changing into a barrier of sorts, filled with bright colors.

Madoka came to a stop. "Get off," she calmly ordered and took the bow from Homura just as a purple creature, roughly as large as Homura herself, crawled up, clawing at Madoka. The girl shot it quickly and pushed forward, taking down the creatures left and right.

"Kaname, what is this?" asked Homura, keeping her head low and trying to curl up within herself as she followed the pinkette. "This… this all…"

Madoka didn't pause as she began to speak. "I am a magical rider," she explained, only adding to Homura's confusion. "This is a barrier, which can only be accessed through the use of a rider's mount. Mine is similar to Mami's, but there are all kinds." She glanced back at the brunette, who was trying and failing to hide her confusion.

"...magic?" she asked slowly, annunciating each syllable. Madoka turned back around.

"Nevermind, we'll explain later." Homura's heart sank- did Madoka hate her too, now? "We still have to destroy this witch!" A large teddy bear ambled out, it's fists smashing down and destroying everything in sight, including the creatures. Mami was still on her vehicle, and in her hands were two guns.

"Kaname!" she yelled. "Attack on three! One… two… three!" At the same time, two missiles reached the teddy bear, and it toppled over, trying to right itself. "One… two… three!" Once again, the teddy bear was attacked, and it roared in anger. "Final one! One… two… three!" The bear exploded into shards of silver, leaving behind a small object. Madoka slowly rode over to it and handed it to Madoka. "No, you use it, I'm fine."

"Mami, your KeyStone is corrupted. Anyway, you were awesome out there, you deserve it."

"What about we split it?" Apparently agreeing, Madoka placed the object next to the glowing stone, clearing away the darkness.

"Now you, Mami-senpai!" Mami grimaced slightly hearing 'senpai,' but cleared away her own stone. Homura stood off to the side, nervous and unsure of what to say.

"Oh, this is Homura. She's in my class. Homura, this is Mami Tomoe, another magical rider." Homura quickly bowed, her braids nearly touching the ground.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tomoe! Um… but Kaname, what is this…?" Madoka giggled nervously and began to walk after Mami, who beckoned to Homura. The brunette squeaked and followed close after, still hoping to hear an explanation.

"We're going to my apartment," explained Mami. "People might hear us if we stay." Homura nodded and picked up her pace. The mounts had vanished when they left the barrier, but Madoka and Mami each had a ring with their KeyStone embedded inside. They were all silent as they walked back, save for Mami's one compliment for Madoka on how well she did.

Mami's apartment was large and well-furnished, While the older blonde got cake from her fridge, Madoka and Homura sat before a round table, sipping the already-made tea. The carpeting was soft and nothing like the rugs at Homura's aunt's place. Mami soon joined them, and they dug in.

"Akemi," she said, "I suppose Kaname has already told you about how we are magical riders." Homura nodded, unable to talk as her mouth was full of heavy, rich cake. "Kaname and I contracted with a creature named Kyubey for this KeyStone. We got the chance to choose a magical power in exchange for battling those creatures you saw earlier."

"What were they?" wondered Homura. A shadow flickered over Mami's face, but she answered the question anyway.

"We call them witches. But where they come from… We just don't know." Homura accepted that reply and let the other girl finish. "Anyway, this KeyStone is the source of our power. Most riders find some old abandoned vehicles (or build one themselves.) The KeyStone infuses them with magical power. Let me show you…"

Madoka held out her ring. "No need, I can do it!" she exclaimed. Her school uniform, creamy white with a red bow over the chest, just like Homura's uniform, vanished. Her new suit built up piece-by-piece. First, there was a tight racing suit of a light pink color, with a tear-drop shaped hole in the back. In the front, there was a long strip of lace with buttons inside. Flat shoes, laced up, appeared on Madoka's feet, and her hair ribbons vanished in favor of large yellow bows. To the side appeared her previous mount, the motorcycle-esque vehicle.

"Whoa," breathed Homura, her eyes scanning Madoka's new outfit. The pinkette carefully pulled the KeyStone out of the motorcycle, causing the object to collapse, turning into something which was essentially a hunk of garbage. Then, Madoka took a wind-up toy from her pocket. It was tiny, the size of Homura's hand, and the KeyStone automatically shrunk as it entered the wind-up's back. Madoka closed her eyes, raising a hand.

"Apri, apri

Ciò che era chiuso ora si apre

Crea, costruisci, dalle ceneri che sorgerà la mia cavalcatura"

Glowing pink circles, filled with ancient designs and words, surrounded the toy. The toy, which was in the shape of a dragon, grew to be as big as the abandoned motorcycle, before stopping. Each golden scale glimmered in the light, and it seemed too fantastical to be real. Madoka climbed on, holding on tightly.

"Inoltrare"

The dragon stiffly took a step forward, and Madoka, satisfied, stood, and pulled the KeyStone out. The pink gem was safely placed in the motorcycle, and Madoka de-transformed, coming back to the table. "See, Homura!"

"Kaname only recently contracted," explained Mami, as though that would lessen Homura's confusion.

"What were… the incantations? Those circles? I thought you could only enchant the vehicle." Mami shook her head silently, taking another bite. When she finished chewing, she began to talk.

"The KeyStone has all sorts of magical properties. Those incantations are to help us direct our magic, and the circles are a side effect of that magic. The circles can be used for different types of magic. Most riders have only one type of magic from their beginning contract, though. Of course, there are the basics of magic each rider has."

"You have the potential to be a rider," added Madoka. "I felt it."

"What magic did you gain?" asked Homura, curious. Madoka hesitated before responding, her eyes narrow with doubt. But eventually, she spoke up.

"I chose the power of resurrection," she explained. "There was a dead cat, and I brought it back to life." She brought her closed fist over her heart. "I definitely don't regret this choice!" Homura smiled, secretly wishing she had this kind of determination as well. Madoka truly was a kind of person to admire.

'_Oh?' _A white creature, looking a lot like a cat, though it had longer ears and golden rings around them. '_Is this a new candidate for a magical rider?'_

"This is Kyubey," quickly pointed out Mami. "Remember, the creature I told you about?" Homura sharply nodded. "This is it."

'_Hello, Homura Akemi,' _replied Kyubey courteously.

"Hey, hey," playfully objected Mami. "Don't push Akemi into any sort of contract yet, Kyubey!" Kyubey turned away, still smiling as it always did.

'_I'll be waiting.' _it promised, leaving the apartment. Madoka waved goodbye innocently, and for some unknown reason, there was a tightening in her chest. Was this jealousy? Mami and Madoka didn't seem to notice, and Homura felt the world fade away as she drifted into thought.

_Fermare_

Madoka pulled Homura back into reality. "Let's go home together!" she exclaimed happily. Homura nervously nodded.

"I… would like that." Since they both lived nearby, Homura was forced to enter her own unwelcome home after little time had passed. Homura's aunt, a tall woman with graying hair and dark brown eyes.

"Welcome," she said, not looking up from the paperwork before her. "How was school?" Homura quietly replied with a muted 'good' and entered her room, a cozy place which was not very decorated. A simple clock hung on the wall, ticking away. Homura frowned. How strange. The clock had never worked before. A rich purple color with golden roman numerals around the face, the object was more for show than practical use. There was also a poster above Homura's bed embellished with the words 'you can do it!' But for a brief second, the word 'ricorda' flashed over it before fading away.

Since it was rather late, Homura decided to immediately go to bed. The warm blanket revealed her toes, rendering the girl unable to go to sleep. So she stayed awake for a while, staring outside her window. The light pollution made it so she could not see the stars, but she could imagine them, bright within a midnight sky.

(The world stopped for a second and twisted around Homura, everything becoming blurred. Everything was wrong. She needed Madoka. Madoka. She needed the Law of Cycles. Where were they? They had to save her.

The flames of greed tore at Homura, sentencing her to be burned at the stake.

_Un ciclo fallito_

The cycle was beginning anew.)

Tracing her finger across the window pane, Homura's violet eyes were drawn to the sight. She collapsed into bed with a creaking of springs. She felt lost, was lost, but didn't know why.

But more importantly, what power was she going to choose?

With a start, she realized the clock above her had gone back two minutes, though it still ticked. Checking her phone, it appeared two minutes had indeed gone back. Frowning slightly, Homura flopped back down and searched up 'superpowers' on her phone.

Maybe wishing for the power of seduction would be nice.

Homura blushed a furious pink and dug her face into her pillow. "Bad, bad, bad!" she muttered. "I… why…" She raised her head. "I don't even know Madoka…"

(There was a flood of memories. Madoka, her dearest. Her treasure. How could she have forgotten, the girl she was absolutely devoted to?

_Dimenticare. Rifare._

And in that moment, everything was back to normal.)

Or maybe the power of barriers would be cool! After all, though, she really only wanted this to fight alongside her new friends. That would be best. But choosing a power might be critical. So Homura could put it off a bit longer, right?

Turning on her phone, Homura opened an English-translator. She typed in the word _ricorda, _seeing _remember _as the definition. Remember? What did she have to remember?

It had to be a hallucination. She was tired, and she had school tomorrow. Homura should go to sleep now.

She fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, and her sleep was plagued with odd dreams.

_(Homura was on a bench with Madoka._

_How unsatisfying._

_Time restarted again, and the hourglass twisted and turned. How could she battle this inherent destino (destiny?) But for Madoka, she could do this over and over again.)_

_(Homura sat in a chair overlooking a city. The bright lights flickered on and off, and a goddess descended next to her. Unknowing of that fact, Homura continued to dreamily stare forward._

"_You can't do this forever," softly interrupted Madoka. Homura started, then settled back down in her wooden chair._

"_Maybe not," she retorted. "But I can keep it up as long as I can."  
_

_Then she fell off the edge of the cliff.)_

_(Homura was in a cell, with a gun._

_Madoka was in front of her._

"_Non," said the pinkette, reaching for her bow. "Homura, non devi farlo."_

"_Legge dei cicli," she replied, then shot herself and then Madoka in the head.)_

And Homura Akemi woke up, sweating and panting. Just what was that? Was that the future?

"Did I…" she began, trembling in fear and panic, "did I already get my power?"

Then she forgot everything again.

* * *

Learning about magical racers was quite an odd experience. At least, Homura now had someone to talk to during school. At lunch, she sat with Madoka and Sayaka, the latter of whom was still sore at Homura for how the girl shunned her during school. Homura almost felt bad, but there was a voice in her head, echoing loudly whenever she looked at the blue-haired girl.

"_I was so, so stupid."_

But Sayaka would have to put up with Homura- and vice-versa. Homura and Madoka were now friends, and nothing could change that. Madoka was constantly making new friends, and both of them would have to put up with that.

"So, transfer student," began Sayaka. "You're a… rider too, right?" Appreciating this reach of friendship, no matter how faint, Homura quickly began to speak, fumbling with words.

"Yeah, but I haven't contracted yet, have you?" Sayaka chuckled at Homura's nervousness.

"Nah. Hey, transfer student, at least for Madoka's sake, let's try to be friends." To Homura, that phrase felt wrong, coming from Sayaka, but she wanted it to be true so badly.

She really wanted a perfect world for Madoka.

And now it was another battle. Homura nervously walked up to Madoka and Mami, a bike next to her. Sayaka was clutching Mami's motorcycle for dear life, ready to mount it at any time.

"Uh, I thought I could ride in with my bike?" suggested Homura. It was old and worn, as it had been her aunt's when she was young. The paint was peeling, but it was functional. That didn't mean Homura hadn't tried to re-paint it, not that there had been any difference. The pink paint peeled as well, and eventually, Homura stuck with black.

Mami laughed hard, though she at least covered her mouth. Sayaka's face went red from withheld giggles. Only Madoka, king Madoka, patted Homura on the shoulder.

"You can go on the backseat of mine," she said quietly while Sayaka, unable to hold it in anymore, gave out a howl of laughter.

So Homura clutched the seat while a confident Madoka drove as quickly as possible. Once again, the world became distorted, and Homura began to shake. But she trusted Madoka. She had to.

The pinkette dismounted and raised a hand, beginning to chant in a low voice. Homura backed away to Sayaka, who watched Mami's chant. The yellow and pink circles overlapped, with one on top of the other. The creature, a hag with a chained neck and wrists, wandered within the circles, just as they exploded in twin bursts of light. The familiars crawled together, one larger one eating the rest up and becoming the creature's copy.

And alas, Madoka was not paying attention, and the creature let out a ray or green light, which caused her to collapse. Homura shrieked and ran forward to help, but Sayaka pulled her back by snagging the back of the cream-colored school uniform. Meanwhile, Madoka opened her eyes feebly, seeing Mami defeat the copy with a giant gun. But more familiars swarmed, creating a new copy.

"It's endless," gasped Sayaka. "Mami, do an area attack. We'll be safe for a bit." Mami jumped into the air and performed Tiro Finale, incinerating a large circle around the group.

"Madoka!" yelled Homura, rushing forward to protect her friend. "The witch… We have to get out."

"Not an option," grimly stated Mami. "We're surrounded on all sides." Mami frowned. "We can't defeat this witch, but I can go down trying!" Mami pulled the KeyStone from her motorcycle, and it promptly shrunk down to become a small rock. Mami created a new magical circle, one much larger, and threw the stone in the center. "My attack won't damage it much. You'll have to run."

"Tomoe, you can't!" cried Sayaka, now the one who reached forward, but a gentle hand from Madoka stopped her.

"Sayaka's right," she murmured. "Don't sacrifice yourself."

"Pinkie's right," said an unfamiliar voice. A red-haired girl jumped to the ground, her crimson eyes glowing. "Hey, Tomoe, remember me?"

"Who are you?" exclaimed Sayaka, whirling away from Mami to the stranger. The redhaired girl grinned and erected a barrier around them just as new familiars began to reach the girls.

"Name's Kyoko Sakura. And I'm gonna be the one who saves you today."

**Omake:**

"What the hell is this?" scowled Kyoko.

"Language," reprimanded Sayaka, her intense blue glare settled on the annoyed redhead.

"I can say whatever I want!" growled Kyoko. "Hey. Akemi, what the hell is this?" Homura Akemi nervously looked at the redhead before tearing off her pink glasses.

"This is an extra!" she declared. "Here, the author does whatever she wants to do with us!" Mami frowned.

"...isn't that the nature of fanfiction?" Five murderous pairs of eyes settled on her. Mami gulped.

"Don't give her _ideas," _warned Homura, putting a finger to her lip. "And I am not Akemi! No longer am I Moemura!"

"Yeah, yeah," griped Kyoko. "Anyway, why's Nagisa here?" The white-haired girl, in the middle of her meal of cheese, stuck her pointer finger up. "Um... that's not..." Nagisa switched fingers. "See, that's right."

"This just can't be right," wailed Madoka. "Such inconsistencies in our character..."

"Miracles and magic are real!" declared Sayaka. "For this to happen, magic must exist."

"As long as my friends are with me, I'm not afraid of anything anymore," whispered Mami, a soft smile blooming on her face, as delicate and beautiful as a rose.

"I won't rely on anyone anymore," solemnly stated Homura, her face a mask of emotionlessness. "I'll have to give the next chapter's preview myself...!"

"Trying to give me no lines?" jeered Kyoko. "Too bad, 'cause now I get to do the- oh."

"Next chapter!" Nagisa stepped up to her duty, and Homura leaped up, guns in hand.

"No!" she cried, tears falling on her blackened soul gem, normally a pure violet color. "I have to protect Madoka." The girl in question was very confused. When Nagisa was blown up, Homura straightened out her clothes and stared right into the reader's soul. "Next chapter. Madoka, take it off!"

"When friends part, their love for one another dwindles without proper care, as flowers die without proper treatment. But can the bond between friends save the forsaken girl? Will the fire's prayers reach the heart of the light?" Madoka struck a dramatic pose and Sayaka began.

"And who are the riders in the shadows? Is the girl of light an ally or foe? When confronted with four new girls, the light burning within the spirit may be extinguished forevermore." Sayaka and Madoka looked at Mami, who rose to the occasion.

"Next time of Magical Rider Homura Magica- Is this Really the Right Thing to Do?


	2. Is This Really the Right Thing to Do?

The barrier shimmered in the faint light from Mami's soul gem. The girl Kyoko frowned as she concentrated, a magical circle faintly glowing under her feet. Tentatively, they all took a step forward, but stopped when the barrier shuddered under the familiar's weight.

"Hopeless," moaned Sayaka. "If Kyubey was here, Akemi and I could contract, but looks like he stayed home today." Homura noted Sayaka's use of her true name before Kyoko, instead of 'transfer student.' Interesting.

"I still think my plan is best," stubbornly persisted Mami, but she had really lost the will to pursue that thread ever since Kyoko showed up. She feebly supported a still weak Madoka, neither of them transformed. Sayaka offered the most help, swinging at any familiar who slipped in through the barrier's cracks with her baseball bat. One unlucky one soon became a mere smudge on the ground.

"Plan B?" suggested Kyoko. "I mean, it's your fault I'm here." Mami scowled at her.

"You came here by your own free will," she pointed out. Kyoko shrugged.

"Fair enough." Mami was too tired to argue, and Madoka's body was probably too heavy for her to easily lunge out, so she contented herself with a glare. Kyoko, seemingly unaffected, continued to speak. "Okay, Tomoe, pinky, ready your vehicles. Blue can ride with me, and moe, ride with Tomoe." Sayaka opened her mouth to retort, but Kyoko ignored her. "We'll have to ride super quick. On my count…" Homura tightly gripped the side of Mami's motorcycle with her thighs. "Go!"

The barrier disappeared, and five new witches flooded in, beaming green rays of light. Mami skillfully weaved between each, the rays only centimeters from the pair. Not far away, Madoka, without a passenger, pulled ahead, warping out of the lair. Homura breathed out, relieved.

"Watchout!" yelled Sayaka, her two words blending into one as Kyoko nearly knocked them over in her haste to leave. The redhead didn't aim for caution but instead speed, hoping that she wasn't hit. Mami followed after them, but she just wasn't fast enough, and the two girls war[ed out before them.

Just as Mami and Homura were at the exit, and Mami was speeding up so as to get out of the lair, a burst of green light hit the cycle, barely missing Mami, Homura, and the KeyStone. Gem in hand, Mami stood up, coughing, and gave Homura her hand.

"Are you all right?" she asked. Homura nodded and pointed to the motorcycle.

"...I don't think the same could be said for your vehicle," she quietly said. It really was a mess, especially with the KeyStone out of it. Not at all rideable.

"I don't have anything else!" nearly wailed Mami. Homura considered how to console her, but they were in an awful state, with the witch drawing closer to her prey. Mami and Homura were frozen, even though Mami could have done something, anything, to save them.

_Deus Ex Machina_

Oh, right.

In this world… there was always a happy ending.

_Always._

Homura pulled Mami out of the way, her limbs moving before her mind reacted. From her pocket, she pulled out her bike, now in a small form (courtesy of Madoka.)

"The bike!" she yelled. "Enchant it!" Mami looked surprised before taking out her keystone and thrusting it into the cushioned seat, the gem turning into a tiny jewel, a tear of golden. The bike grew to be large enough to sit on, and turned golden. The headlights also shot out bullets (something they had never done before.) An embarrassed Mami shrugged.

"...why the headlights, Mami?" asked Homura, more stiffly than usual. Mami stiffened at the use of her first name, then relaxed. Seeing how near four more of the witches had become, Homura urged Mami to go forward. "Go!" They climbed on, and Mami began to pedal for all she was worth. The motorcycle went quicker, but anything would do at this point.

Kyoko reentered, without Sayaka this time.

"What's the holdup!" she yelled, unable to see the wreck of a motorcycle and the new bike through the familiars clouding her vision. "'Cause the barrier is moving!" Mami went quicker with new determination, but to exit the barrier, she would need a higher speed. They bounced off the edge of the barrier, unable to go quickly enough.

Kyoko rode over.

"I'll take you out one by one," she reluctantly growled. "Tomoe, you first."

"N-no, Homura should…" But Homura was staring at the witch with new-found determination. All of this felt wrong, from how she called Mami to how she felt no fear. She should be wanting to get on the motorcycle. But she didn't, and she felt confident and sure.

Kyoko drove off in a wave of dust, leaving Homura behind. The brunette closed her eyes and covered her face. A few seconds later, there was an explosion. The surrounding area was aflame.

As Homura spun around, she noticed that the familiars weren't regenerating a new witch. Confused, Homura one of the creatures up, before noticing a crudely drawn symbol on it's back. There were three lines, each going straight then up. The Roman symbol for healing. The explosion had smudged the third line, rendering it useless. She pocketed the familiar, intent on showing Mami, Madoka, Sayaka, and Kyoko. Somebody had to have done this. The question was who.

The barrier vanished, and she was again standing with her friends.

"Wa~ That was so cool, Homura~!" Madoka clutched Homura's arm, and the girl heavily blushed.

"U-um," she began, reduced to a mess before the excitable pinkette. "Somebody…" She presented Mami with the familiar, pointing out the symbol on its side. "The Roman symbol for healing."

"Obviously," began an irate Kyoko, "somebody messed with the original grief seed. I mean, look at this!" She gestured to the area where the grief seed was. The grief seed contained the same symbol, though it wasn't smudged there. "Some rider thought it would be funny to stick us with somethin' like this, huh?" Mami patted Kyoko on the shoulder comfortingly.

"Oh! I forgot to introduce you to Kyoko." Homura noted the usage of first names. The two must have previously known each other and have been very close. "We used to fight together."

"That's not right," interrupted Sayaka. "We met Kyoko before, remember?" There was an awkward silence as Kyoko tried to remember Sayaka and Madoka tried to remember Kyoko.

"...yeah, I remember Sayaka." First-name basis again. But wait, didn't Kyoko refer to Sayaka as Blue?

Madoka shook her head. "We never met," she murmured, confused. There was a general silence, but Mami quickly broke it.

"Well, anyway, Kyoko will be hunting witches with us, now." Kyoko lazily smiled.

"Hey, I don't have a place to stay, so can I stay with you, Sayaka?" The girl's cheeks lit up like a lightbulb, and she began to stutter.

"S-sure." Completely red, Sayaka smiled at Kyoko. The redhead smiled back- a real smile, not the grin she gave everyone else.

"Let's go back to my place for cake!"

Mami really outdid herself this time with a double-layer chocolate cake. "Thank you, Tomoe!" The blonde girl chuckled quietly, drawing a confused stare, but everyone was busy eating,

"I know Kyoko!" suddenly started Sayaka. "I don't know where from, but-"

* * *

Homura was ready to venture into a new witch's lair.

Sayaka was sick, but nobody knew why. Kyoko was with them, though, and she had a piece of chalk with her, ready to draw.

"What is that for?" asked Madoka innocently, her pink eyes earnestly shining. Kyoko ignored her and began to draw a pattern on the ground. A perfect circle was drawn, with the symbol for antimony in the center- a circle with a cross sticking out of the top. Next to it was the symbol for Venus, a circle with the cross sticking out of the bottom.

Circling these two symbols were those for earth (downward facing triangle with a line through the tip) fire (a simple triangle) air (the earth's opposite) and water (fire's opposite.) The outer circle contained the symbol for mercury, silver, tin, and zinc. Straightening up, Kyoko watched as the chalk lit up red. The lines vanished as they formed together and created a sleek red spirit-wolf with scarlet eyes. The wolf bowed her head and Kyoko leapt on, her hair rippling as she gripped the glossy fur.

"Cool~" giggled Madoka. "Hey, Kyoko, I thought you had a motorcycle?" The redhead glared at the ground and refused to meet Mami's gaze.

"...gave it to Tomoe…" she pointed. Mami did have a new ride, golden and shiny, with straps holding silver guns to the side. The mount was glorious and proud, it's headlights cutting through the endless darkness.

"Huh?" teasingly asked Mami.

"...I gave it to you!" Kyoko stormed off, blushing heavily. The other three girls watched, baffled. Homura took the opportunity to jump on behind Madoka. The pinkette smiled nervously and started up the vehicle. Homura had to tightly clutch the smaller girl's shirt as the world became a blur of light. She sighed in relief when they came to a complete stop and Kyoko glided up behind them.

"Hey," began the other magical rider, pointing out a slender figure not too far away. "Who's that?" The figure stirred and began to walk towards them.

She wore a red polka-dot racing suit which complimented her white hair. In her hand was the KeyStone, completely polluted. The quartet held their breath.

The girl stumbled over and Kyubey shrank back. Slowly, the KeyStone lost the darkness and became a light color once again.

Nobody noticed, but for a brief instance, Kyubey's fur was pitch black.

"I'm Nagisa," murmured the girl, exhausted beyond reason. Kyoko, Madoka, and Mami exchanged a glance. Right now, getting Nagisa to safety was their priority.

"C'mon," muttered Kyoko, dragging Nagisa onto her wolf. "Let's go." They rode away, with Mami leading, but the blonde girl suddenly stopped. The familiars crowded around her front wheel, making Kyoko cry out in anguish. "My bike…!"

Mami's guns went off, clearing a pathway. Jumping off, she began shooting, keeping the way open.

"Madoka and Homura first," she ordered. "Then Kyoko and Nagisa." Madoka and Homura sped off, the brunette barely having time to catch a glimpse of Kyoko jumping off and creating a giant spear, which she rode through the crowd, taking many out. The rest clamored to eat her up but Kyoko was too strong.

The two girls dismounted and waited. And waited. When nobody joined them after five minutes, they started to get worried. At least until Nagisa rode out atop a giant snake-worm thing, completely black with a white face dotted with different colors.

"Where's Mami?" desperately asked Madoka, rushing forward to the white-haired girl. The young kid landed on the ground, her magical outfit and mount vanishing in a burst of light.

"Inside!" she squeaked. "Fighting!" Madoka stared at the barrier, determined. Quickly transforming, she turned to the other magical rider.

"Nagisa, I'm sorry, but we need to rescue them. Come with me?" The surprised girl nodded and transformed once more.

"Wait!" yelled Homura, realizing what was happening. "What should I do?" Madoka smiled gently at the brunette. Her light pink hair got in her face, concealing her bright eyes. It was a perfect picture; the beautiful young girl, sparkling and radiant, smiling gently. The sun was setting early, and the warm colors melted together in one stunning mess. The silhouette of Madoka, too, was graceful and slender against the light.

"Wait for us," suggested Nagisa, jumping up and down. Homura relaxed.

"Just don't die," she murmured to Madoka, who winked at Homura before readying her motorcycle. The two drove off and vanished with a pop, leaving the brunette all alone. Sinking to the earthen ground, she scrunched up and looked down. Madoka would be okay. She would be okay.

Homura thought back to the first witch. Madoka had truly been amazing, her bow blazing as she attacked. The pinkette would be fine, right? She was just… so amazing…

"So she sent another one." A blonde girl approached, accompanied by a slouching brunette. Homura stood up quickly, stumbling over her feet.

"Who are you?" The blonde girl raised a hand, and an orb hurtled towards Homura, nearly hitting her. It pulsed with power, and the brunette was glad she dodged. "Who are you?" she repeated, ducking again. The ground behind her exploded into tiny fragments, flying into the air. The shrapnel nearly hit Homura, and she had to flatten herself against the ground.

"Stay still an' let Oriko take care of you," hissed the other girl, her short hair brushing the shoulders of her rider outfit. Both of them were wearing completely different outfits than those Homura had already seen; 'Oriko,' the blonde girl, wore a silver baseball cap with a white veil sprouting from it, covering her hair. She wore a jacket covering her clothes underneath, which had golden buttons and the flap overlapping on the other side. Lace peeked up from under the collar, with a green gem barely visible, the same lace under it that adorned the top of her mary-jane shoes and her short skirt which peeked out from under the jacket, not even touching her knees. However, her legs were covered by white tights.

The brunette, on the other hand, wore something completely different. She wore an eyepatch over her right eye, though her messy bangs anyway almost obscured it. Her other eye, deep yellow, glared angrily at Homura. She, too, wore a coat, but this one was more like a cloak, the black material slung over her back and finishing in two split ends. However, the cloak/coat had two sleeves, both ending in long frills. Two long claws extended from the sleeves, hiding her hands, swathed in linen. She also had a short black skirt on, without anything underneath. On her feet she wore tall leather boots. She had on a red tie, with a citrine-colored gem on the knot.

"Just give up, Akuma," proclaimed Oriko. Ten orbs lined up behind her, ready to fire. There was no way Homura could dodge that many. "No matter how many of them you send here, the result will always be the same." They sped forward. "We will win."

Gunshots rang out through the air as ten guns appeared behind Homura. The ground began to rise, and the girl realized (with some horror) she was standing on a giant gun, with a muzzle the size of both Oriko and the brunette together. All the orbs were destroyed, and Oriko was left defenseless.

"Run!" The brunette girl leaped forward and used her claws to hurtle herself at Homura. The poor girl was so surprised that she tripped and fell, landing on the ground and hitting her head. Hard. Woozily, she sat up, but Oriko already stood before her with five orbs ready.

"Mami Tomoe," she said, still looking at Homura. Blood dribbled onto her red-rimmed glasses, distorting the image of the girl. "Madoka Kaname. Kyoko Sakura. Nagisa Momoe." The four girls (Homura saw them now, astonished looks on their faces,) stared at the three other girls. "Watch Homura _Akuma _carefully." The brunette girl deeply concentrated and everything slowed down except her and Oriko. The two walked off too quickly to be caught, though Oriko's orbs smashed into the ground next to Homura, making her jump.

"Homura!" yelled Madoka, rushing over. "Are you alright?" The girl managed to nod, trying to pull herself up. However, Mami and Kyoko conversed together.

"We need to talk. Madoka, call Sayaka."

* * *

"There are five types of magic," preached Kyoko, mumbling through a slice of vanilla cake. Madoka, Sayaka, Homura, and Nagisa sat perched around a circular table, while Mami and Kyoko stood up and lectured them. Nagisa seemed less interested than the other three, but as a magical rider separate from the others, she must have learned this already. "Symbolism is first. That's what I have. It's basically a representation of everything the rider has. My barriers are the strength of my faith- see the cross designs? Yeah, that's why."

For some reason, they had gone back to Mami's place to eat and have an explanation of who Oriko and her sidekick were, but they weren't getting very far yet.

"Than there is wish magic," continued Mami, her head in the refrigerator as she rummaged through. "I have that. Since my desire to continue living was so strong, I managed to 'summon' Kyubey. I chose the power of-"

'_Any power that will bond me to life' is what you said, Tomoe, _said the creature in question, swishing next to Madoka, as far away from Homura as possible.

"Right. So I literally tied myself to life with ribbons. These ribbons were what allowed me to get out of the car wreck and escape." Mami paused. "...without my family," she whispered, so quietly only Homura heard her. "Then there's hope magic, like Madoka's," she then continued, covering up her momentary weakness. "She can essentially 'purge' the witch, erasing its existence of despair. In other words, she strips witches of their power. Though stronger-level witches are only slightly weakened, hope magic is very effective against witches."

"Yeah," jumped in Kyoko. "Symbolism magic is good for a variety of things, since it's basically just passion. Wish magic is good for getting out of tough situations since you really wanna get out of there. Hope magic is good for fighting witches, but not anything else. Got it?"

"Uh…" began Sayaka, "aren't there two more types?" Kyoko playfully glared at her.

"Yeah, duh," she rolled her eyes. "Support magic. Good for helping teammates. It basically covers everything from healing to boosting morale. It really only works best when used with a group."

"And finally," pointed out Mami, "there is knowledge magic, like that girl's. She-"

"Oriko," interrupted Homura, but looked down at her hands when she was made center of attention.

"Right, Oriko linked those orbs to her magic and used her knowledge, her concentration, to force the orbs forward. However, the brunette girl and Nagisa have some other type of magic. I don't know how to say it but… it feels like depair."

"We could have Sayaka and Homura contract but we can't do that. After all, they might not have that type of magic."

"After all, we can't force them into a contract," said Mami at the same time. The two girls pointedly ignored what the other explained.

"Anyway," continued Kyoko, not looking at Mami, "I guess… I can only call it despair magic. It feels like a witch, almost. Nagisa and that girl…" Everyone went silent.

"We have an idea," spoke up Mami, "and Madoka, Sayaka, Homura, I hope you join us. We… we want to find others with this type of magic. Please help us uncover the truth!" The three girls exchanged glances. "We need to find out what this threat is, and Kyoko, Nagisa, and I will do so at any cost. Will you join us?"

_(The world exploded with purple light.)  
_

_(Each fragment was put back together, just like a puzzle.)  
_

_(But now, instead of saying no, they all said yes.)_

_L'inizio di una fine_

_La fine di un inizio_

_Inizia la caccia_

_Per la disperazione eterna_

Omake

"Hey, Moemura!" greeted Kyoko. "What up?"

"I am not Moemura!" proudly announced Moemu- Homura once again, just like last omake.

"What up, Moemura?" asked Sayaka, entering the omake.

"I am not Moemura!" yelled Moemu- Homura, once again, just like before.

"How are you, Moemura?" gently asked Mami, smiling at the girl.

"I am n- you know what, whatever. I am Moemura. Just whatever." Moemur- Homura sighed.

"Who's Moemura?" asked Madoka, stepping in. "I- oh, hi, Moemura!" Moemur- Homura sighed.

"Today for the omake, we're guessing what spin-offs will be included!" Nagisa brightly smiled before morphing into a worm. "Grwarg rawg rarg wagr warg."

"Whether you be a witch, magical girl, or prey," Kyoko added, making everyone except Nagisa frown in confusion at the 'prey' part, "we hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Unless you're prey."

"Anyway," began Mami, glancing at her underling, "Madoka, what d-"

"Oh!" exclaimed Sayaka. "I get it! People are prey, so you- wait. People are prey?" Kyoko shrugged innocuously.

"You said it, not me," she muttered.

"Anyway," Mami nearly yelled to be heard, "while Sayaka chases Kyoko around with a shoe, we're going to guess. So, Moemura, what do you think?" Moemu- Homura sighed, once again. She couldn't catch a break, could she.

"I think Kazumi Magica," she coldly suggested. "We already have Oriko Magica, so there are only Magia Record, Suzune Magica, Tart Magica, and Kazumi Magica."

"Wait," interrupted Madoka, trying to think. "What about Homura Tamura?"

"How would the author include something like _that," _drawled Kirika, stretching out the word 'that.' "Seriously, though, I don't want hundreds of Moemura." Moemu- Homura disagreed. She wanted a drink, and the ones at Akemi-ya weren't bad.

Then her eyes went wide. Then would all the girls compete over her Madoka… No! She would not allow that!

"I will fight alone!" she declared, while everyone looked at her like she was crazy.

The world went dark and silhouettes of magical girls appeared. Homura spun, her eyes set on one particular girl.

"Your ponytails… Your cute face…" she murmured. "That is what I swore to protect!" She crashed into the innocent Sayuki, who screamed as she was squished between Homura and Mayu.

"Sorry, wrong person!" she yelled as she ran off. "I guess I should start wearing glasses again…" she muttered.

Meanwhile, Sayuki and Mayu looked after the weird black-haired girl.

"Well, that was odd," announced Mayu.

"Yeah…" dreamily sighed Sayuki. "But someone so forward was nice…"

Back with the main cast, Nagisa and Mami were preparing for the next episode summary.

"Next episode!" shouted Mami, making almost everyone wince.

"Jeez, Mami," groaned Kyoko, hiding from Sayaka under a bed, "quiet down a bit, will ya?" Mami glared.

"Translator!" yelled Mami even louder, just to spite Kyoko.

"Raw gwaw rwag warg," explained Nagisa to any witch readers. (Translation: That girl has a delicious head.)

"As the days count down to summer vacation, two lives intertwine in ways they never had. But in the shadows, and in the heart, a threat still looms." Mami turned to Nagisa.

"Gwar wag rwag," replied Nagisa. (Translation: Free food for all!)

"As two girls grow closer together, the white killer threatens to break them apart. Meanwhile, enjoy your life, magical girls!- while you can."

"Warg!" shouted Nagisa. (Translation: Now!)

"Uh… Mami?" Kyoko peeked out to see the blonde girl running around with witches latched to her head. "O-kay. The next chapter: How long to wait?" An enraged Sayaka approached. "SEE YOU SOOON!"

Madoka, sane in the midst of chaos, sat on the bed, posing as best she could.

"Also, remember to pre-register for the English version of Magia Record," she proclaimed, sweetly smiling. "Download for Moemura."


	3. How Long to Wait?

It was March 30th, a beautiful time of year. Cherry blossoms lined the normally unremarkable cement, the soft flowers decorated the heads of many students. Homura's own flaxen hair was tangled in with the pink. Madoka giggled softly at how the girl tried to brush them out of her hair, only for more to fall down.

The two were going to Madoka's house. After hearing how Homura was staying with her relatively poor aunt, Madoka had insisted on at least boarding the brunette until summer vacation. Then, all the magical riders were going to go on a 'biking trip,' which in reality would be them meeting other girls. Summer break couldn't come soon enough.  
Madoka's home was cozy, though large. Even though Homura lived in a small apartment formally, it was nowhere as nice as here. With an aloof aunt and drafty rooms, the apartment had a cold and un-feeling atmosphere. The Kaname household was bustling and warm with the familiar faces greeting the two everyday.

Kyoko had gone missing two days ago, alongside Sayaka. Kyoko _was _unpredictable and did not go to school, so that was no surprise, but Sayaka leaving was surprising. She did go to school and had a loving family, the Miki's. Mami was no help, merely saying the two had begun the search early, with Sayaka tagging along.

"Honestly," the blonde girl had sighed yesterday once again, "it's like the two are a couple with that behaviour."  
Nagisa was getting used to living with Mami. She remembered nothing since before she was found, only mumbling something about cheesecake- which, incidently, was her favorite food, together with plain cheese. Mami, with her love of baking, was perfect for her role of Nagisa's guardian. Nagisa seemed to help the senior with her loneliness as well.

The four met at Mami's place two weeks before the trip.

"Kyoko and Sayaka are back!" cheered Nagisa, pointing out the girls, who had a small green-haired child with them.

"This is Yuma Chitose," explained Kyoko. "She has wish magic." The girl nervously shuffled her feet and stared down. "Anyway, that's why we left. I met her back home and I wanted to get her back again, and Sayaka insisted on coming." Madoka hugged her friend quickly, glad she was back.

"It's almost summer," said Mami, serenely smiling. "Let's enjoy ourselves to the fullest!" Homura smiled and shot a quick glance at Madoka, who smiled back.

"All right," Kyoko replied, baring her teeth. "Two weeks till our trip… Then Sayaka, I challenge you to an eating competition!"

"Actually," jumped Nagisa, "I challenge you to a sweet-eating."

_13 Days Till Summer- Kyoko and Nagisa, Face Off!_

The air was thick with tension. Kyoko and Nagisa glared at each other, mountains of cake, candy, and all other things beside them. Each girl had their KeyStone in the grasp of another (Sayaka had Kyoko's and was covering it in ducktape; Kyoko would find out after, and Homura was sure she'd be steaming with rage.) Mami, clutching Nagisa, proudly surveyed the food she created.

"I'll beat you, little girl," hissed Kyoko, reaching for an eclair.

"You couldn't date Sayaka if you tried," proudly giggled Nagisa, making Kyoko spit out her food as her face went crimson, just like her hair.

"Wh-what! I could _so _get Sayaka!" The girl in question was blushing madly as well.

"Oh really? Then ask her out." Nagisa had shoveled a cake into her mouth already with forty seconds left on the timer.

"I-I-I won't listen to you! Shaddup, could ya?" Kyoko slowly picked at a wedge of cheese, blatantly staring at her cru- _friend._

Needless to say, Nagisa easily won against the flustered Kyoko.

"So, Sayaka… _Would _you go out with me?" Kyoko asked Sayaka catiously. The girl stammered, looking at Madoka for help, but the pinkette just winked and dashed off. Homura ran after her, so she never heard Sayaka's answer.

_10 Days Till Summer- Sayaka, Punishment Awaits!_

For the first time in some time, Sayaka proudly strutted in to class while Kazuko lectured the class on why they should not start dating woman married to fathers of their students.

"See, Jun- I mean, the woman might scorn you because of their family! Really, this is true! Then Junk- I mean, the woman will call you dumb if you try to make out! Honestly, some people are just _blah blah blah blah…" _  
Madoka was embarrassed throughout the entire thing and considered calling her mother, just to see just _what was happening. _

"-_Miki." _Kazuko broke off mid-rant. The bluenette guiltily looked up.

"Um… yes, Mrs. Saotome- wait, sorry, I meant Miss-"

"_I know what you mean,_" hissed Kazuko. "_I was worried __**sick, **__Miki. I don't know why Mrs. Miki and Mr. Miki are okay with this, but I'm not._" Sayaka shifted in her seat and muttered to Madoka out of the corner of her mouth:

"Call Kyoko."

"_And now you just stride in here like you own the place? I don't think so. Miki, come up here._" The bluenette awkwardly walked up, dropping her phone which she had started to call Kyoko on. "_Oh, look, you evan had your phone out." _Junko walked menacing circles around the girl. "_I have decided on your punishment." _Sayaka gulped and took a step back to her seat while Junko laughed.

"Wh-what?" she asked, swallowing her spit.

"NO RAMEN FOR A WEEK!" There was silence as everyone stared at Junko. "Mwahaha."  
"Mrs. Sao- I mean, Miss. Satotome, you can't do that," gaped Nakazawa until Junko turned her glare on him.

"Are you making fun of me?" she asked. "Just because a woman of my age isn't married…" Junko broke down into tears, then raised her hand. "I swear, if it's the last thing I do, I will get revenge on you two!"

Kyoko refused to wipe everyone's minds, calling this 'too amusing.'

_13 Days Till Summer- Nagisa, Start School!_

It was the day.

Nagisa fingered her white ponytail and fidgeted with her dress. The yellow material clung to her legs, making some of the pale skin beneath visible.

"Are you ready?" asked Mami, looking at her charge. The young girl, entranced by her reflection, only managed a nod, drawing a chuckle from her senior. "It's your first day of school, Nagisa." She knelt down so they were head to head, and she leaned in.

"Eh… Thank you, Tomoe!" Nagisa captured Mami in a bone-crushing hug, smiling from ear-to-ear. "Thank you… so much…"

"You're welcome, Nagisa."

"Everyone, we have a new student today. Her name is Nagisa Momoe." Nagisa respectfully bowed to her teacher before sitting behind a brown-haired boy.

"Hi," exclaimed the other kid. "I'm Tatsuya Kaname. " Nagisa gasped.

"As in… the little brother of Madoka Kaname?" she asked with the biggest smile on her face. Tatsuya frowned.

"Stalker," he muttered and slunk down in his seat. Nagisa grinned again and pulled out her pink hair ribbon, then pretended to drop it.

"_Oops," _she giggled then hid under the table, punching Tatsuya in the shin while there making the boy yelp.

"Miss. Ai, Momoe punched me!" Miss. Ai sighed and turned her full force of protection , which only teachers have, to the boy.

"Stop picking on Nagisa, Tatsuya!" Nakazawa's little brother, who sat next to Tatsuya, shivered.

"I can't imagine older brother having a scarier teacher…" he murmured.

At recess, Nagisa tied her hair back in a braid, humming. Her yellow dress spread out on the bench, and her bag beside her, she peacefully watched the kids playing.

Until an egg hit her in the face.

The culprit, a young girl (incidentally, Poor fag's rich cousin) crossed her arms and glared at her opponent. Tatsuya and Nakazawa's younger brother stood next to her. Nagisa hopped down, wiping the food from her face. The yolk was in her hair and would take some effort to get out.

"Oh, it is _on,_" she growled. Nagisa raised a hand. "Magia Transformation!" After going through the necessary transformation scene, she raised a trumpet.

"Whoa," gasped all three children as Nagisa bowed and blew out. Three bubbles appeared and encased the students. The transparent surface reflected their frightened faces, blank and pale with terror. Large eyes followed Nagisa as she triumphantly blew out smaller bubbles for the benefit of other classmates.

"How nice… everyone else is already accepting Nagisa…" murmured Miss. Ai, reading a book and watching over the playing children.

Afterschool, a disgruntled Tatsuya pointed out Nagisa to his parents, while Nakazawa gave his little brother no time to talk while regaling him with tales of Junko. (Miss.) Poor Fag's rich cousin just drove off in her private limousine, her nose in the air.

"You did _what_?" cried Mami, at home. Nagisa crunched on cheesecake, grinning more than she ever had before.

"Yep!" Mami sighed, putting her head in her hands.

"Tomorrow," replied the blonde, "Yuma is going to school with you. And she's going to make sure you don't get into trouble." Nagisa looked at Yuma, who nervously edged behind Kyoko.

"...yeah, not sure how good a job Yuma's gonna do," noted Kyoko.

_8 Days Till Summer- Kazuko, Contract!_

Sayaka, Homura, and Kyoko walked around the mall. Sayaka and Kyoko dragged Homura there with the promise of Madoka, but in the end, it turned out they just wanted to take her shopping for clothes.

"What about this?" asked Sayaka, picking up a dark purple t-shirt. The violet color reflected Homura's eyes, and she shuddered.

"No." Homura spun away, hunching up her shoulders.

(_She _didn't notice the glance Sayaka and Kyoko shared, and how Kyoko stuffed the shirt in her bag. But Akuma noticed.)

It was three, and the three ate gelato at a food court. Sayaka had blueberry, Kyoko had cherry, and Homura had vanilla. The three contentedly licked their spoons, planning to go shopping again soon.

"MWAHAHA!" cried out a loud voice. Kazumo, dripping with malicious intent, descended from the sky, wearing a yellow sweater vest and black tights, over which she had a bright red skirt and long boots reaching her knees. "Sayaka Miki! You and Nakazawa will now pay!"

"Who's the crazy?" Kyoko casually asked the blunette, who crashed her head against the table. Kazuko scowled and landed before them.

"I have contracted to become a magical rider in order to destroy your loved ones! My power to control one person at a time will allow me to destroy your crush, Kyosuke." Sayaka looked up, her forehead red from slamming it down.

"Kyosuke and Hitomi are dating," she explained. "Um…" Kazuko's face had turned as red as her skirt. Snarling with rage, she raised a hand, accidentally lifting the fringe of her hair which covered her neck. In a flash, Kyoko shouted out.

"Her neck!" Indeed, on her teacher's neck was the beginning of a spiral, blood-red in color, prominent against the pale color of flesh. Homura had no idea what it was, but apparently, Kyoko knew. The prominent circle once again vanished beneath brown locks, concealing whatever pattern it may have been.

"What is that?" asked Homura, shying away as Kazumo began to moan.

"Quick, when did she start acting weird?" Kyoko asked a panicking Sayaka.

"How should I know? I was absent." The redhead groaned and turned to Homura.

"'Mura?" Homura paused. When had it been? She had only just transferred in, how should she know?

In the deep recesses of her brain, she felt a link, submerging from the dank corners of her subconsciousness. Kazumo was…

Kazumo wanted a boyfriend, but constantly broke up with them.

Kazumo picked on Nakazawa.

Kazumo was friends with Junko Kaname.

Kazumo was kind.

"A month ago," murmured Homura. "A… month ago…" Kyoko clenched her teeth and transformed. Now, Homura really saw what the other girl's outfit was. She had on a full body suit resembling a diver's wetsuit, but stronger and crimson. Kyoko's head stuck out from the tight armor covering her neck, and her hair hung in two ponytails, each tied back by dark velvet bows. The armor stretched down to her legs, covering her feet in strong boot-like objects, more leathery and darker than the rest of the outfit. Gloves grew over Kyoko's hands, pitch black, and a spear dropped into one hand. With a powerful thrust, Kyoko brought her spear forward, barely missing Kazumo. Homura and Sayaka gasped.

"Kyoko!" they both yelled simultaneously, trying to hold her back, though their fingers just slipped off the armor, snagging on spikes that stopped the outfit from being smooth and slippery as ice.

"That," growled the redhead, "is a witch's kiss. She is being possessed." The three girls looked at Kazumo, who's eyes began to glow a warm orange color, her pupil disappearing into the light. Her odd clothes vanished, the cloth slowly creeping up and fattening into tentacles curling towards the girls while covering Kazumo's torso, effectively shielding her.

"Kazumo!" called Sayaka. "Wake up!"

"_Revenge,_" hissed the woman. "_Time to… move onto… a new… host…" _Kazumo's words trailed off, becoming fainter with every syllable, as she collapsed on her face. The crimson spiral vanished from Kazuko's pallid skin, appearing on Homura's neck- not that Sayaka and Kyoko knew, of course.

Homura's eyes turned orange, and she heard Kazumo's voice echoing through her head.

"What?" she asked, her eyelids flickering up and down.

_The truth is, Akemi, I am a (bzzt), just like (bzzt), but my- the real (bzzt), mind you- went through emotional trauma, therefore altering my (bzzt.) I was (bzzt) by Akuma-  
_

_Akuma? _interrupted Homura as the tentacles unfurled from her body and began to attack Kyoko and Sayaka.

_I don't have much time, Akemi, before I'm defeated and (bzzzztzzt.) Kill me, Akemi. S- (bzzzztztzzzzztzzt.)_

"Agh!" cried Homura, kneeling over. Kazumo's voice vanished, leaving her with a pounding headache, while Kazumo stood up, her eyes having turned into a blurred image, little squares of light brown eyes overlapping on her face.

"Final attack!" cried out Kyoko, Sayaka standing beside her with a baseball bat in hand. "_De salute animae!_" The barrier Kyoko usually used appeared around Kazuko, trapping her just as her whole body began to become blurry. The redhead's spear became huge, the size of a car, and smashed into Kazuko.

"What are you doing, Sakura!" screamed Homura, running over. The girl looked over, then back at Kazuko.

"Watch," she muttered.

Slowly, the dust cleared, and Kazuko appeared. Her eyes were closed, but she appeared to be normal.

"Now," groaned Sayaka, "we have to fix this mess." She paused, looking at Kyoko. "Not it," they both exclaimed at the same time.

Homura placed her head in her hands while Kazuko got up. At least she would have plenty of time to figure out what Kazuko meant. Maybe too much time, she realized as Kyoko and Sayaka ran off.

_1 Day Left Till Summer- Riders, Begin Your Journey!_

Finally.

Finally!

After a week of cleaning, Homura had finished her part in repairs and it was time to look around Japan for other girls. Since Kazuko had been very, very sick following her attack, a substitute took over. Miss. Ai usually taught the younger grade, but since they were out for the summer, the upper grade was stuck with her.

She liked to pick on Nakazawa.

Sayaka claimed she would skip again if Kyoko hadn't said she would no longer cover for the blunette. ("It was once!" Sayaka complained. "Just once!") Since she wanted to be a police officer, Sayaka didn't want too many absences on her record. Homura wasn't quite sure it worked like that, but who cared.

Madoka and Sayaka had both begged their parents for new rides. Though Mami and Madoka had their magical mounts, they were heaps of garbage when the girls were not transformed. Therefore, Madoka got a pink and white motorcycle and Sayaka got a blazing blue one. Mami was forced to use her own funds to buy one, and Kyoko _acquired _one. For the riders, these would also be used while in labyrinths.

Homura now stood in front of a modern store with bright and exciting colors flashing out to the viewer. She rolled the money in her hand. In her bag was yen. To be specific, 541,400 yen. In American dollars, about 5,000 dollars.

"So much…" murmured Homura, raising the bag. The 100 yen rolls (obviously, 5,414 crisp bills) shuffled inside, and she sighed.

A bell rang when the brunette entered and began to browse. She knew what she wanted; a used lavender motorcycle, sleek and powerful. It was _exactly _541, 400 yen. Just like the others, she had needed a ride, but had been too shy to bring it up with anybody except Kyoko.

Kyoko had blinked owlishly when told of Homura's problem, then leapt away. A bit later, the brunette had all the money she needed. Now, she ran a hand over the metal.

"Cold," she muttered, sluggishly pulling her hand away. Continuing to slide her hands over the handlebars, Homura tried to pull it down.

"Need help?" asked a rough voice beside her. Homura turned to the speaker, prepared to thank them, when she received a fist to the face.

"You!" she exclaimed. The black-haired magical rider from some time ago stood before Homura, Oriko by her side. Both were transformed with their weapons at the ready.

"Yeah, 's me," sneered the girl. "And yer Akuma." Homura scrambled for her bag, careful not to spill anything, and ran off, out of the store. She heard heavy footfalls following her, approaching with every step. She ran faster.

"Kirika, do it quickly." Backed into a corner, Homura sun around only to be face to face with Kirika. Kirika's visible eye widened in maniac delight as she swiped at the brunette. "Before her friends come." Kirika nodded happily as she began to move with super-speed, zipping from place to place. It was by a mere hair's breadth that Homura dodged, falling down on her back.

'_Quick!' _called Kyubey. '_Akemi, contract with me!' _Oriko and Kirika paused when they saw the white creature.

"What are you planning, Kyubey?" wondered Oriko out loud. Kyubey turned to the girl, it's eyes… pleading? Red met gold and Kyubey's gaze turned to the ground.

'_In the end, our goal is the same,' _it simply replied. Oriko nodded and turned away. Kirika scowled.

"Huh? But, but, Oriko, she's cornered!" Kirika pointed at a gasping Homura. "And why're you lettin' Kyubey t-" Oriko pulled the girl off, giving her a reassuring smile, before collecting herself and standing up tall.

"Kyubey, if your plan has not succeeded in a week, I will take action myself." Oriko's eyes flashed as she and her cohort walked off, de-transforming as they moved.

_(Huff, huff.) _Homura stood up, clutching the bag. Slowly she staggered to the store with Kyubey following.

"Hmph." In the doorway of the shop was a pink haired girl with a KeyStone in her ring. Homura's heart skipped a beat. "Hey, Chisato, let's go back to Hooziki. The bikes here are super expensive." Slinking into the shadows, Homura watched a black haired girl walk out, also with a ring. Her hair was in a slick ponytail and she had icy blue eyes which pierced the shadows surrounding Homura.

"Yes," replied Chisato. "Arisa, let's go." They, too, entered the ally, forcing Homura to back up evan further against the wall and take shallow breaths. The two girls transformed (but the way they did so was completely different than Kyoko, Mami, or Madoka's way of transforming.)

Each girl began to glow, with Arisa glowing pink and Chisato glowing blue. The glow grew stronger until both of them were just human-shaped balls of light. Turning to each other, they each raised the KeyStone they held and tossed it to the other with a shower of sparks corresponding to the gem's color.

Both girls clasped hands, the soul gems finding their place on the original owner's chest. The glow surrounding Chisato and Arisa exploded over the surrounding area, then turned into tiny petals, blue and pink, with small clips on each- moments from each girl's life. Their feet were first to be clothed, with pink boots appearing on the former and short, pointed ones on the latter. Arisa's legs were the only one to gain garments (namely, pink and white striped leggings.). Dense black shirts appeared on Chisato's thighs, before two gun holsters exploded into existence on her belt.

The two let the other girl's hand go and turned back to back as they gained shirts. Arisa wore a tight tank top-esque shirt with a long stripe of pink and the rest being plain white. Bullseye circles appeared on her shirt. Chisato, on the other hand, wore a loose t-shirt of a blue color tucked into her belt. Black stripes conformed to her curves and affixed the t-shirt to her body. Her collar flapped over her KeyStone as a hat grew over her wild hair.

The transformation complete, Chisato and Arisa now stood back to back in a dank ally. Two bikes, one crimson, pink, and white, and the other blue, lavender, and black, leaned up against building walls. Homura realized those were _real _bikes without the KeyStone's modifications yet.

Plucking out their KeyStones, the girls placed the jewels in the motorcycle seat. The motorcycles began to glow, and when the glow shattered just like before, the bikes had transformed into hulking mechas with each easily as tall as one girl and a half. Getting on, Chisoto and Arisa drove off.

Trembling, Homura strode into the store.

"E-excuse me," she stuttered, "may I buy the lavender bike?" She pushed over the money, watching as the owner's eyes lit up.

"Of course," he replied. Homura smiled nervously.

_I'm ready, _she thought. _I will do this!_

**Omake**

"A-_hem,_" nervously coughed Moemura. "T-today we have special guests…" Coolmura sighed and pushed her younger self to the side.

"Today's omake has surprise guest Tamura," she explained. "We have received a review-"

"Which we're very thankful for!" squeaked Moemura.

"Hm," muttered Coolmura. "Either way, Moemura and I will interview Tamura on the nature of the possible introduction of Homura Tamura."

"HUH?" Tamura crashed in, landing on a couch. The elegantly embroidered flowers leapt up from the silk and fastened the other girl there. "Oh, a rookie. Hey, you over there-"

"_Anyway,_" sharply intervened Coolmura. "The author thanks-"

"-Phoenix Daybreak-"

"for writing a review. There. Anyway, Tamura, what are the author's plans about Homura Tamura?" The magical girl nervously gulped when confronted with crazy people, as she was now.

"The main characters are heading to Akemi-ya," she wearily explained. "Suzune Magica will be the first featured spin-off, then Kazumi Magica-"

"Don't forget Oriko Magica (sadness prayer volumes one and two because the author can't buy the rest and can't find it online,)" added Moemura.

"Right. Then Magia Record, Tart Magica, then us in the very end of the story."

"Great! Bye!" Coolmura disposed of Tamura then turned to Moemura. "She did it! She killed Tamura!" Madoka's eyes watered.

"Moemura, I trusted you..." she began.

Far away, Rena and Kirika watched the other girls arguing.

"Wait a minute, why us?" asked Rena, growling. A voice spoke from the heavens as the author struggled to sleep.

_Because you're my only four stars in Magia Record that I summoned. _

Rena sighed.

"Try Fate/Grand Order," she grumbled. "Bet the gacha isn't on your side there."

Kirika looked down to Earth.

"Ah, Oriko…" she murmured.


	4. Can I Really Help?

As it turned out, Hoozuki city was not on the list of places to check. However, Homura soon told them about Arisa and Chisato. In truth, the two girls had been amazing. They were so mysterious and almost frightening. Though they were magical riders, the same kind Homura had met before, the brunette felt at home with her friends. Chisato and Arisa were (_an unknown variable_) and therefore nothing like Madoka, Kyoko, or Mami.

"Hey." Sayaka snapped her fingers in front of Homura's face. "Akemi, back to earth." Homura shakily nodded and mounted her bike.

Yuma and Nagisa rode on the back of Kyoko and Mami's bikes. The two kids bounced up and down in excitement, clinging to the backs of their seniors. Kyoko half-heartedly attempted to shrug Yuma off, but grinned slightly, revealing her secret joy.

"Hoozuki, here we come!" cheered Madoka, nearly slipping off her cycle. Homura steadied her friend, blushing all the while. Madoka thanked the brunette, just making her blush deeper.

"Ah… just be careful," bashfully murmured Homura. She slipped onto her new bike, grabbing the handlebars and gripping them tightly as possible.

"-go!" Kyoko yelled out just as Mami began, drowning out the redhead's words. With that, they all started, ensnared in a kind of race.

Hoozuki cit was nearby, perhaps half an hour away (with the magic enhancing them, of course.) As they all lived on the outskirts of Mihikitaria, the journey wasn't as long as it might have been. Pressing down hard, Homura kept up with Madoka, who giggled and sped up.

"You'll have to do better to catch me, Homura!'

'_Please… stop me from (bzzzt.)'_

With a start, Homura stopped. What was that…? Madoka… asking her…

'_Making that foolish mistake.'_

Homura pushed on. Those thoughts were fake. They couldn't be real; she couldn't be seeing Madoka lying on the ground, soul gem in hand and face contorted in despair as she cried out-!

Silently, Homura cried into her sleeve as she caught up with the pinkette.

* * *

_Hoozuki City_

The sprawling city beneath them was brilliant with light, open windows speaking of joy as golden light spilled out into the starry night sky. Lone figures wandered the streets, merely shades in the darkness of night and against the glowing moon. The fresh night surrounded this very city, covering the buildings in pitch-black and drowning the trees in nothingness, hiding them from view if not for the pinpricks of light dotting the sky and shining down, smiling gently at the world they illuminated.

"Wow," breathed Mami, brushing a lock of hair behind one ear and gazing at the sight. Kyoko guffawed.

"Honestly, it's the same exact layout. Mami, you're just a snob-" The blonde girl impassively shot the redhead. "Ow!" Everyone ignored Kyoko's shouts of pain, instead beginning to enter.

"Let's find a witch," suggested Madoka. "The magical riders here will probably be hunting now." The more experienced Mami agreed, and the magic users held out their KeyStones. All five of the gems were surrounded by a brilliant light, and they all exchanged glances.

Kyoko began to run, holding Yuma. Sayaka, though surprised, followed, leading Mami forward. Madoka looked at her gem; then, realizing the meaning of the glow, rushed forward. Homura gaped seeing Nagisa catch up, wailing to be carried, then realized she should go, and bolted after Madoka. In the end, they were just a long line of frantically moving limbs until Mami stopped, causing the whole line to catch up to her with a crash.

"Those are…" she murmured. Before them stood a group of magical riders, including Arisa and Chisato. They had not yet seen the Mihikitaria girls, instead being focused on a brunette in a rider outfit.

"Finally!" cackled the girl. She grinned maliciously, grasping her KeyStone, prepared to shatter it. The silver-haired girl gasped, then rushed forward, prepared to stop the brunette. However, the girl had already broken the gem, a look of triumph on her face.

A powerful force sent the Mihikitaria girls back, and when they looked up again, they were in a witch barrier, facing the Hoozuki girls. Homura clutched the ground, shaking. She radiated despair, and didn't look up for fear of what she would find.

"Who are you?" warily asked Chisato, readying her guns. Mami smoothly stepped forward, transforming into a costume much like Kyoko's, but gold and without the excess armor. A yellow visor landed on her head, and gloves covered her arms. In addition, a skirt appeared on her waist.

"I am Mami Tomoe, from Mihikitaria," she explained. "These are Homura Akemi, Madoka Kaname, Kyoko Sakura, Nagisa Momoe, Yuma Chitose, and Sayaka Miki." The riders transformed, and Homura suddenly felt awkward in her non-magically enhanced body. Sayaka, on the other hand, seemed totally at home wielding her baseball bat, enchanted by Mami.

"What're you doing here?" asked Arisa, snarling and gripping her scythe so tightly her knuckles were white. Another girl, one that looked like the one who broke her KeyStone, whimpered.

"Arisa…" she murmured.

"Peace, Nanami." The silver-haired girl took a step forward, stopping Arisa from making a move towards Mami. "We have bigger problems."

"Amano, how did you know that girl?" The blonde struck at Amano with an accusatory tone, but the impassive girl was not shaken.

"I… I think I remember her," blurted the brunette. "But I don't know where from." She lapsed into silence.

"Anyway, we need your help," spoke up Amano. "We have to defeat this witch and get out of here." She glanced up at the butterfly familiars flitting about, ready to strike at any moment.

"What d'ya mean? It's just a witch, isn't it?" Arisa backed off, her scythe now slicing up a familiar. Two more took its place, and she jumped into the air, turning them into dust as she quickly sliced those into tiny pieces.

"No. No, it isn't." Amano glanced at the witch, lumbering towards them. "I… am Suzune Amano. This is Arisa Nanami, Chisato Shion, Haruka Kanade, and Matsuri Hinata. We need your help." Arisa gaped in fury, radiating anger.

"We do _not _need their help!" she fumed, opening herself to an attack from the right. Arisa was too slow to raise her scythe, and the butterfly was ready to attack…

_Bam. _A bullet pierced the familiar, and it dropped to the ground. Mami held a musket in one hand, the tip still smoking. She warmly smiled. "Are you sure about that?" A still-stunned Arisa just shook her head, and Matsuri held out a hand.

"Nice to meet you! Let's do this together." Madoka was the one who took it, and the girls locked eyes and smiled at each other.

Then a wave of familiars separated the two from the rest of the girls.

"Wha-!" gasped Kyoko, but another wave trapped her with Arisa and Yuma. Sayaka, Chisato, Homura, Suzune, Haruka, Mami, and Nagisa came closer together. When another wave hit, Mami and Chisato shot them down, while Nagisa trapped some in bubbles and Suzune created a shield of fire.

"Hey!" A familiar grabbed Mami, thrusting her into Haruka, sending both of them away from the main group. Nagisa bounded after them despite Sayaka's attempts to keep her with them. As another wave approached, Chisato reloaded and Suzune created flame swords.

Unfortunately, there were too many familiars, and Chisato and Sayaka vanished. Suzune tsked, taking out a wave.

"Stay nearby, Aku-" Suzune realized her mistake too late, cutting off the word and staring at Homura wide-eyed. The brunette nearly growled in frustration, but she was too meek for that. Who was Akuma? Kazumo knew, and Suzune and Oriko apparently knew as well.

"Akuma?" asked Homura quietly, both praying Suzune would or would not hear. The silver-haired girl sent another wave of flames forward.

"...sorry," muttered Suzune. She turned to Homura, leaving herself open to sneak attacks. The brunette thought to warn the other girl, but she was too curious. "Akuma… Akemi, I can't tell you. Now." Homura was struck by the similarities between Akuma and Akemi. Could she be Akuma? "I'll tell you what I can-" Butterflies, vibrant and beautiful, flew into Suzune's throat, covering her entire body with their poisonous colors. They were too bright, nothing like the rider's dark and gloomy colors.

"Amano!" cried Homura, attempting to brush the familiars off. However, for every butterfly that flew off, two more took its place, and Suzune sunk to her knees, then fell. Homura screamed in terror as hundreds of familiars descended upon her.

_Power Acquired: Steal. Power Levelled Up: Transformation. _Homura gasped as the wings of the familiars were plucked off and appeared in Homura's hand.

"Huh…?" A white cape appeared on Homura's shoulders, draping expertly on her body and covering her head. The girl's clothes turned into a long white dress with a v-neck, lace hanging down from the top and barely covering a slit in the fabric. The skirt brushed the ground, dirtying the pure-white lace. The entire skirt was made out of pleated cloth, in fact, made out of a silken material (but it wasn't quite silk; Homura still could move easily enough in it. This was more similar to the magical fabric the riders wore to allow easy movement.) As a final gesture, her braids were undone and glossy black hair hung over her shoulders.

"Urg…" Suzune got to her knees unsteadily. "Akemi…" Homura realized Suzune wouldn't be able to go anywhere for a while, and the girl's soul gem was dark. They needed to reunite with the others, but Suzune was in no state to move.

"C-come on," stuttered Homura, grasping Suzune's hand and blushing while pulling the girl forward. Butterflies swarmed them, but with their wings stolen, they were practically useless. However, no matter how much they marched on (or rather, how much Homura marched on; Suzune was too weak to stand) they were still assaulted by more creatures and seemed to get nowhere.

"Stop." Even in this crisis, Suzune seemed relatively calm. "Akemi, this is getting us nowhere. We're just going to have to wait and hope someone finds us." Homura wanted to protest, but the silver-haired girl's words rang true. Suzune was too weak to move, and Homura, well, the brunette as getting tired. So she sat down, stealing the wings whenever familiars got close. Suzune created a fire barrier, using up the last of her magic.

"We… will just… wait."

* * *

Mami, Haruka, and Nagisa were perfectly fine.

Mami decimated a row of familiars, then Nagisa ate up the rest. (Or rather, her mount did- it was rather odd.) So far, Haruka hadn't done anything, but then again, she hadn't had a chance. Mami paused, resting for a few seconds.

"Kanade, could you take out them while I'm resting?" she asked, exhausted. Haruka sweetly nodded, brushing back her hair. Nagisa paused, too, wanting to see the other girl's magic. Mami watched closely, leaning on her gun the harder she thought. A crowd of familiars appeared, half from the air and half level with the others. If need be, she always had a gun ready…

"..." Haruka pointed her weapon, and the familiars froze. Those in the air crashed to land, their wings no longer working. Next, she stared right at the army. A beam of light came out of her face, turning the creatures into dust.

"Wow," involuntarily gulped Nagisa, who had been using her trumpet to trap familiars that had fallen. Mami, on the other hand, had her brow creased with worry. That magic… could it be?

Despair magic. Her soul gem flashed as if to show she was right, and Mami clenched her teeth. She would confront Haruka later, but now they had to meet up.

"Let's go?" asked Haruka, shooting another beam. Mami smiled. She liked this girl, no matter her type of magic.

"TIRO FINALE!"

* * *

Kyoko speared three familiars, while Arisa, scowling, used her scythe to slice through five. The girl grinned, killing a sixth.

"I win!" she triumphantly exclaimed, causing Kyoko to focus hard on the incoming row.

"You don't know that yet," she retorted, and flames burst up around her. Fire sprouted from the ground, igniting the butterflies into ashes. "That was ten. I win." Arisa jumped up, tearing through seven while in midair, before using her scythe to take out five more. Grinning, she looked at a defeated Kyoko.

"...shaddup," the redhead muttered, taking out one with limp arms. Then she smiled again, encasing herself in flames.

"That won't work," Arisa muttered, taking out a row of five. "My count is twenty-three, and yours is thirteen. You need a whole ten." Arisa tore up five more. "A whole fifteen." Three more. "Eighteen." Kyoko stayed quiet, flames forming a helmet over her head and creating scorpions of flame, swarming over her before crawling off her and starting to attack. Arisa gulped, killing five. "Twenty-three."

"Hiya!" The flames flew off of Kyoko, igniting seven. Arisa breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the redhead was done. The scorpions took out ten more butterflies, and Arisa quickly killed five.

"Alright, forty-six to thirty, I'll give you that. But do you think you can take out a whole seventeen…" Kyoko jumped up, turning her spear in midair. The weapon impaled six before spears formed from the flames still on Kyoko turned into ten spears, killing ten more familiars. "Okay, we're tied, okay? I doubt you can kill anymore, though, Sakura." Kyoko growled, then landed, and her helmet exploded into thousands of flames, tearing through vibrant wings. Thirty familiars fell, dead, and the injured ones hovered above, numbering one-hundred.

"Seventy-six," she nearly purred. "I know who won~" Arisa glared, storming over to a cleared pathway. "Are you okay, Yuma?"

The green-haired girl smiled, raising her staff.

"Let Yuma heal you, Kyoko!" she ordered. The redhead picked up her protege, walking off. "Let Yuma heal you!"

"Let's meet Amano and Akemi first." Homura raised her head hearing a familiar voice, and smiled seeing her friend. A collapsed Suzune was picked up by Arisa, and Kyoko whistled at the brunette.

"Sakura, you came." Homura rushed up, transforming out of her outfit, causing Kyoko to frown.

"Akemi, you didn't… contract, did you?" The brunette shook her head, revealing both hands. On neither was there a silver ring. Homura once again transformed, stealing butterfly wings. She needed to help! She wouldn't be useless, she would find and save Madoka… Determination sparked within her, and familiar corpses lay strewn around her. "Give it a rest, Akemi. We need to meet up, but for now, Arisa, Suzune, Yuma, and I will charge up our attacks. Defend us." Homura nodded nervously, hoping she wouldn't fail. Butterflies fluttered to the ground, dead.

"I'll do my best."

* * *

_Click. _Chisato shot two butterflies with one bullet, pinning them to each other. With her other gun, she shot two different ones at the same time. Sayaka watched, using the baseball bat she brought with her to smash as many as she could.

As it turned out, the situation was more dire than any of them thought. The familiars were extremely powerful, and only by staying in teams of two with another to watch the first's back could they survive. When the butterflies saw an opening, they took it, swooping down and drawing blood. They sucked the energy out of the magical riders and normal girls, at some times even stealing their magic.

"Miki." Chisato's voice was firm as she shot three more. "I figured this out. This witch is one of revenge." Sayaka ducked as Chisato shot one over the bluenette's head.

"Yeah, so?" Sayaka stomped on a familiar, her eyes trained on the Hoozuki girl. "Why is it important?" Chisato gritted her teeth.

"I don't know how, but this witch originated from Kagari, and apparently she loathes Amano. So, Miki… we have to get to Amano." Sayaka took out a row, moving forward slowly. "She's the bait we need to lure out the witch; surely, it hopes to land the finishing blow." Chisato grabbed Sayaka's hand. "Hold on tight!" The two zigzagged through until an exhausted Chisato was forced to stop in the middle of a large butterfly clump. They quickly were overwhelmed, and together collapsed to the ground.

"Shion?" gasped Sayaka. Chisato summoned the strength to nod. "Keep… it… secret…" Sayaka stood up, shaking off butterfly familiars.

_Power Unlocked: Summon. Attack Unlocked: Wheels of Fate._

"Wheels of fate!" she called, and from all directions, wooden wheels trampled the pitiful creatures, creating a slight opening.

"What?" Sayaka had grabbed Chisato's hand and was running.

"I don't know!" she yelled. "All that happened was I _knew _I had the power, and…" Arisa, Kyoko, Suzune, and Yuma came into view.

"Come on, Miki," grumbled Chisato. "Well, if you really don't know anything… just like you asked, I'll keep it secret."

"Miki," greeted Homura, sitting on the ground as she snathed wings. It was tiring after a while, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep it up. "Sh-shion, the other riders are over there, charging their magic." Chisato rushed over to join the four girls.

"Hey, Akemi." Sayaka sat down next to the brunette, watching her decimate the army. A few paces away, Kyoko and Yuma stood. "What's the plan?" Homura looked blankly at the bluenette for a moment, then slowly replied in a voice thick with exhaustion.

"'Kura and 'Tose are going to… to… destroy the familiars and get 'Mi, 'Doka, and the other girls. They'll use charged magic to defeat the witch…" Homura collapsed, and all she could see was darkness. Sayaka propped her up, forehead creased in worry.

"Stay with us," urged the bluenette, and the brunette managed to look around. Kyoko and Yuma had raised their weapons, each ready for a 'final attack.'

"Scorpion tail," muttered Kyoko.

"Saving grace," murmured Yuma.

Spears erupted from the ground, killing all familiars in their wake. Limp and dying, they watched

as the damage spread further, revealing a glimpse of blonde hair.

A green light shone over the battlefield, and the spears and corpses vanished. A thoroughly drained Kyoko and Yuma fell to the ground, barely caught in time by Sayaka. Though the familiars left were multiplying quickly, the damage had been done, and Haruka, together with Mami and Nagisa, rushed over. Madoka and Matsuri also appeared, both battered up quite a lot.

"Now," hissed Chisato. Homura drowsily watched as Suzune stood, beginning to yell loudly.

"Here, Kagari! Don't you want to end me yourself?" A giant butterfly descended, giant wings spreading apart.

_No, _it hissed. Unlike any witch Homura had seen before, it understood Suzune more than with a primitive understanding of _Oh, I think I recognize her._

Everyone was taken aback, the brunette soon realized. The giant butterfly seemed to grin.

_It won't be as painful that way. Instead, your friends will land the decisive blow. _Mami, Chisato, Arisa, Matsuri, Yuma, and Kyoko stopped dead in their tracks. Suzune, Haruka, Homura, Sayaka, Madoka, and Nagisa stared as the group surrounded Suzune.

"_You killed that girl,_" accused Arisa.

"_Honoka Kanae, right? In cold blood._" Chisato continued, mercilessly attacking the girl. Suzune shook her head.

"It was Kagari," she calmly stated. "Kagari had the ability to manipulate memories ad personalities, so get ready to fight. To free them, we have to defeat the witch."

"_What a terrible girl,_" giggled Mami.

"_Have you heard of Jack the Ripper?_" asked Yuma.

"_She asks for your name… then rips you right up._" Kyoko talked now.

Suzune raised her sword. Her magic was charged up, but she turned to the other girls. Homura clenched her teeth and grasped Madoka's hand, knowing what to do. She knew what Suzune would ask, and she needed to be ready.

"Distract them; I'll need a clear strike to kill the witch." They nodded, and Suzune jumped off, landing on a wing. All the other girls were about to follow, but Homura concentrated and stole their weapons, leaving some of them defenseless.

Still, they were stronger than the brunette, so she slunk back. Nagisa and Arisa were the first to meet, with the former using her strongest boost, knocking Nagisa back. The young girl used her trumpet to create a force wave, creating some distance while Chisato loaded her gun, aiming at Sayaka.

Sayaka's enchanted bat met the bullet with a satisfying crack, then she rushed forward to deal the finishing blow. Chisato reloaded once more and aimed, this time splitting the bat in two.

"Oops," muttered Sayaka, so quietly only Homura could hear. The girl looked at the weapons in her hand. She had stolen Chisato's guns, but the rider had just made another pair with magic, she supposed.

One item in particular caught her eye. Kyoko's spear rolled out, and Homura tossed the object at Sayaka. As though anticipating it, the bluenette expertly caught it and rushed towards Chisato, hitting her with the end of the spear.

_Power Unlocked: Super Strength. _Chisato flew back, collapsing on the ground. Homura blinked. Had Sayaka gone through the same thing that happened to her? The power was different, but inherently it was the same.

"Urg. .." Chisato raised her head and loaded it. Homura noticed, but Sayaka was busy helping Madoka to defend against Mami. While Madoka used range attacks, Sayaka was rushing right up.

_Bang! _Chisato shot Sayaka in the foot, and the girl collapsed. The rider then collapsed as well, too exhausted by her efforts.

"Argh…" Sayaka rolled around in agony, her face contorted in pain. Homura crawled forward, dragging the bluenette away from the fighters. Then she glanced at the battles. Mami and Kyoko fought Madoka and Nagisa, with the latter winning mostly due to still having weapons. Still, Mami and Kyoko put up quite a fight, due to being veterans. However, they were distracted from stopping Suzune, which was what they really needed.s

Meanwhile, Arisa and Haruka mercilessly faced off. They were both now ready to use their final attack, and Homura backed off, not eager to perhaps be prey to the attacks.

But where was Matsuri? Suzune perched on the witch's wing, her sword ready to end this once and for all. Matsuri faced her, lights streaming from her gauntlets. Fortunately, she seemed not to have a final attack, but she would distract Suzune all the same.

"You…" cried Matsuri. "You _killed _Tsubaki! It was all your fault, but I didn't allow myself to see it. In battle, her soul gem was crushed when she protected you and you killed her witch. Now, do you plan to kill my sister, just like Tsubaki?" Suzune turned away, pain in her crimson eyes.

"It wasn't my fault, it wasn't my fault," she repeated. "I kept Tsubaki's power in order to keep her legacy-" Matsuri growled, shooting a beam at Suzune's sword.  
"Why didn't you tell me? I hate you, Amano, I hate you!" Suzune's eyes began to water, but she raised her sword. Flames trapped Matsuri in a cage, though beams of light began to breakthrough.

"Matsuri… I'm sorry." Matsuri's eyes became clear, and she fell to the ground.

"Defeat my sister, Suzune." She had broken the enchantment, but it was obvious she wouldn't be able to help anymore. The silver-haired girl raised her sword, then stabbed the wing, and flames broke out all around, igniting the witch.

How fitting.

Fire, fashioned into swords, stuck out of the creature, and the enchanted girls 'woke up.' With clear eyes, they realized their actions, and they turned to the witch.

"That was no ordinary witch," breathed Arisa.

Suzune landed on the ground, the flames vanishing. Freed from the barrier, everyone turned to Suzune.

"So what was tha-" began Arisa, only for her eyes to go blank. In fact, everyone except Homura, Sayaka, Nagisa, and Haruka were under an enchantment, caused by Suzune herself.

"Amano, what are you doing?" cried Haruka. "And why did you take that witch's magic?" Suzune blankly looked at her before sitting down and beckoning the others to do the same. Haruka and Nagisa hesitated, though Homura and Sayaka immediately sat.

"I'll tell you what is happening," she replied, "but first, let me rewrite their memories. I won't do it to you; at the very least, you have the luxury of knowing the truth." Suzune turned to the group of blank-eyed riders. "This is what happened.

A girl named Kagari, the true killer of Kanae, the girl whose corpse I found, invited us to an alley. She then lured a powerful witch there, let it kill her, and pitted it against us. Her reason was that Matsuri was her sister, and she hated her. Though we were easily overpowered, a group of girls from Mihikitaria came to help.

Your memories of the separate battles are the same.

The witch controlled half of us, the controlled group being Akemi, Miki, Matsuri, Tomoe, Nanami, and Sakura. The two groups fought, but I managed to defeat the witch using my final attack.

Miki, Akemi, Kanade, Momoe, and I vanished shortly after the battle ended. I gained the power to teleport rather than control fire, though I did not know it."

_Snap. _The riders began to raise their heads, and in a flash, Suzune had grabbed Homura and Sayaka and began to run. Nagisa and Haruka hesitantly followed, leaving behind the motorcycles, which proved to still be abandoned in the alleyway.

They arrived at a cave (Homura thought it looked like an evil lair) and Suzune crept inside, leaving the others no choice but to follow. Haruka and Nagisa kept their weapons at the ready, however, and Sayaka raised Kyoko's spear. The bluenette limped forward, her foot still bleeding, until Haruka sighed.

"Honestly…" she muttered, healing it in one movement.

Homura had dropped the weapons she stole except for Chisato's guns, which she expertly held. That was strange, as the brunette had never before used a gun. However, she dismissed it as mere instinct. Maybe guns would be her weapon when she contracted.

"Whoa," gasped Sayaka. The group stood before a large room, sparsely furnished. Lavish attention was paid to what was at the center, however.

A female body, floating around in liquid, most likely to prevent it from leaking.

"That's Tsubaki," added Suzune from behind them. Homura screamed.

**Omake**

"So I'm Arisa!" cried a voice. Sure enough, Arisa Nanami walked out. Chisato sighed, her hand at the gun. "Today, we'll be handling the omake."

"What's our schedule?" asked Haruka. Chisato scanned the list, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, right now-"

Kyoko crashed into the room.

"We forgot to do last chapter's introduction to this one!"

" -that will happen," finished Chisato. She scrolled down the list. "Okay, Arisa, you get to say it." She grinned behind her hand.

"Why do I have to do everything?" the pinkette whined. "Really, Chisato, will I have to feed you, too?" Chisato mock-rolled her eyes.

"All _right,_" she faked. "Hoping to uncover the answers to mysteries, the Mihikitaria girls head to Hoozuki. But once there, what will they find? As new questions spring up, answers are nowhere to be found, and unbeknownst to any, their time as humans is running out. Next chapter: can I really help?" Finishing with a satisfied smile, Chisato turned away from Arisa, who was just realizing how she had been fooled.

"_Chisato!" _she yelled, reaching out for her friend. The girl sighed and transformed, shooting Arisa in the leg, stopping her in her tracks.

"Anyway," interrupted Haruka, trying to regain control of the situation, "we have a lot to get through. We have to address reviews, do introductory raps-"  
"What?" cried Arisa, outraged.

"-please stop interrupting me, Arisa. Anyway, we also have to do the introduction for the next episode." Haruka looked at the list. "Let's do raps first." Arisa's face turned beet-red, and she quickly shook her head no.

"Nope, nope, nope," she added, grabbing the list. "Look, it doesn't even tell us to do it here! Haruka, did you _lie?" _Confronted by the leering rider, Haruka gulped.

"O-of course not. I am far too elegant to lie. I must have misread something." Arisa gave a predatory grin, then dragged a finger down to the addressing reviews section, beginning to read out her speech.

"Wait!" cried Chisato. "That's for Matsuri!" Arisa scowled at her friend before tossing the brunette the paper. Shocked, the girl looked at what she had to say. "Don't worry, Matsuri, we believe in you." Nodding, the rider began her strenuous task.

"Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Thank you for reading this story. Also…" Matsuri looked a bit confused. "What does this say?" Arisa swooped in.

"Um… Kyoko is best girl." Arisa looked up. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Kyoko, who was still there, woozily looked up.

"It means I'm better than you, Nanami," she boasted. "Oh, wait, there's another review with me in it. Heh heh… Evangelion."

"Well, Kyoko's rider costume design is completely based off Asuka," commented Arisa. "They're both hot-headed and obsessed with their parents." Kyoko stood up, wielding the Lance of Longin- her spear, which definitely had nothing to do with the one in Evangelion.

"Oh, take that back," she growled. The two started a fist-fight, brawling on the ground. Mostly it was Kyoko yelling about how she hated her family and Asuka yelling about how she was nothing like Kyoko.

"O-kay. Anyway, there is Kazumo/Junko madness going on, because they were at a bar together an-" Haruka got cut off when one of Arisa's blows landed on her eye. The two redheads froze as the full force of their mentor's gaze (or in Kyoko's case, some random blonde girl who was like Mami) fell upon them. Shivering, they ran off.

"Well, we did reviews, so now we need to tell the author's excuses…" Matsuri studied the sheet of paper. "First off, (I) was in Portugal with (my) parents. Since (we) were flying with Air Canada, (our) first flight from Canada to New York and then (our) second flight, which was two days later, were both canceled. (I) just got home."

"Two," picked up Chisato. "(I) created a Deviantart account to draw art of the characters here- it's called sosostupid-"

"Just like the author," sniggered Arisa, who had snuck back. "Oh, wait, maybe it's about that blue-haired girl who isn't my girlfriend-"

"I don't have a crush on her!" yelled Kyoko, causing them to begin a fight again.

"Isn't the author too young to have an account?" asked Matsuri, causing everyone to facepalm.

"You aren't supposed to tell the readers that," whined Arisa. "But, since the cat's out of the bag-"

"Don't say it!" yelled Chisato, shooting Arisa.

"-the author just finished sixth grade." Weakly, the redhead smiled. "If the author is banned, perhaps this torture will be over." Everyone had another round of facepalming.

"Okay, anyway," tried Matsuri, reading excuse three quietly. "Three, three." Realizing nobody was listening, the brunette groaned and left. "SOMEBODY DO NEXT EPISODE!" she called out as she ran.

"Haha!" Arisa swiped the paper. "The death of a mentor can be catastrophic. But if one keeps them alive in spirit, in their memories, they will live on." Chisato jumped up, reading the next line before the redhead could say it.

"Yet, for a chance to revive a dead soul, a young girl has given up everything. Using the power of memory, she will rewrite the world to once again talk to the woman who taught her."

"Next episode," chanted Haruka, "will you listen to my story?"

The scene faded from view, and once again, Rena and Kirika appeared, but this time, they had Momoko alongside them.

"Hey," moaned Kirika, "where's Oriko?" Rena sighed while Momoko looked bemused. "Uh… I have a headache."

"The reviewer who commented on Magia Record is right," declared Rena. "Nothing is sacred! I demand a strike." She transformed into Sayaka. "Stop including us in this story."

"I mean, I don't know why I'm here," muttered Momoko, "prob'bly 'cause I was summoned, but anyway! What do we add to the story?"

_Actually, _began the author, _remember when Minami told me to try my luck with Fate/Grand Order? _Rena groaned.

"Oh no, who did you get?" she asked with trepidation and fear.

_The event-limited character! _triumphantly claimed the author. _So there._

"Well," sighed Momoko, "spoken like a true eleven-year-old. See you next chapter." They faded from view, leaving only darkness.


End file.
